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Despite sharp swings in the value of major cryptocurrencies, the number of hedge funds focused on trading cryptocurrencies more than doubled in the four months ending mid-February, 2018. And as of April 2018, a record 226 hedge funds were trading cryptocurrencies, up from 110 in October 2017 and 37 at the start of 2017. Total assets-under-management stood at between US$3.5 billion and US$5 billion, according to fintech research firm Autonomous NEXT.

While some investors have described the rise of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin as “worse than tulip bulbs”, crypto believers say that this new asset class is destined to transform finance and society. As they see it, the biggest risk for investors is missing an opportunity to get in at the start of the boom.